§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government propose to follow out the suggestion which fell from him, that Scotch Bills might be referred to a large Select Committee on which Scotland shall be largely represented; and, whether, in that view, he will support all or any of the Motions on the Paper to refer each of several Scotch Bills to a Select Committee of 61 Members, or any Motion of a like character?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I have considered this question, in concert with my hon. and learned Friend the Lord 1622 Advocate, and what I have to say is this. It appears to me that nothing could be satisfactorily done in this matter under the compulsion of the Government—first, because we have no time to propose it to the House; and, second, because if we were to undertake the management of it, I think it would run the risk of being inconveniently mixed up with the general proposals on Procedure. It must depend upon the spontaneous action of the Scottish Members. If by that spontaneous action among Scottish Members—and they are well known from old traditions to be well capable of combining their minds and their intentions by unofficial and informal communication—it would appear that anything could be done in this direction, we shall view it with favour.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLgave Notice that to-morrow he would ask whether the Prime Minister proposed to call the Scotch Members together for the purpose of ascertaining their views on the question?